The Pentagon recently commissioned a survey of military attitudes toward ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces, but some gay rights organizations are afraid the study will return skewed results.

Groups fear 'don't ask' study skewed

Gay rights groups are concerned the Pentagon’s massive survey of military attitudes toward repealing the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy could produce skewed results because of the way questions are reportedly worded and respondents’ concerns about the privacy of their answers, which are supposed to remain anonymous.

But Defense Secretary Robert Gates defended the survey his Department e-mailed to 400,000 active duty and reserve force members Thursday, saying it would give a comprehensive view of how soldiers see the potential policy change lifting the ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces.

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Initially, the poll would have included half as many participants, Gates said at a press briefing Thursday.

“I strongly suggested that they double the size of the sample,” he said. “I wanted a significant percentage of the force to offer their views on this.”

Groups supportive of overturning the ban on gays in the military, however, question the need for the survey at all.

“This is an extraordinary initiative,” said Aubrey Sarvis, president of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, saying the military didn’t poll troops when President Truman issued an executive order opening the military to blacks. Again, when women were allowed into the military academies in the 1970s, no survey was issued.

Michael Cole, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, agreed.

“Given that it’s happening, our biggest concern is the possibility that results could be skewed against repeal depending on how the questions are worded,” he said, adding that he has yet to actually see the poll.

Military Times reported that a draft copy of the survey leans “heavily on questions about teamwork, performance, mission completion and morale.”

Some critics of the “don’t ask” policy say that groups backing its repeal have been closed out of the survey process.

“I'm shocked that DOD refused to work with the pro-repeal groups on this. That tells you something. Some of the questions appear designed to elicit negative responses,” said Richard Socarides, a senior adviser to former President Bill Clinton on gay issues.

“What the survey makes clear is that the anti-gay contingent at DOD has not given up. They don't think this is over. And they may just be able still to stop or maybe significantly delay repeal. Never underestimate the Pentagon bureaucracy when it comes to this. Just ask Bill Clinton,” Socarides said.

The survey is intended to remain confidential, but with the policy still in place, the possibility remains that gay servicemembers could be ousted from the military if they answer openly – or that the results could be skewed if they don’t respond, or respond inaccurately.

“The confidential dialog will be operated solely by Westat, a private contractor, and it will be ran on their server, which is a non-DOD server,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith.

That’s also the case for other avenues set up to solicit as many opinions as possible, she said. Troops who participate by visiting www.defense.gov/dadt for a confidential chat sign in initially with a government ID card but are provided with a personal identification number and a link to share any confidential information.